Deadliest incidents resulting in the deaths of 8 or more firefighters

Deadliest incidents in the U.S. resulting in the deaths of 8 or more firefighters

Date

# of fatalities

Occupancy

Location

9/11/2001

340 *

World Trade Center

New York City, NY

8/20/1910

78**

Wildland fire (Devil's Broom)

Silverton, ID

10/3/1933

29

Wildland fire (Griffith Park)

Los Angeles, CA

4/16-17/1947

27

Ship explosion

Texas City, TX

12/22/1910

21

Meat packing plant

Chicago, IL

2/17/1882

19

Fireworks plant

Chester, PA

7/19/1956

19

Refinery

Dumas, TX

6/30/2013

19

Wildland fire (Yarnell Hill)

Yarnell, AZ

7/9/1953

15

Wildland fire (Rattlesnake Fire)

Mendocino, NF, CA

8/21/1937

15

Wildland fire (Blackwater Fire)

Shoshone NF, WY

7/6/1994

14

Wildland fire (South Canyon)

Glenwood Springs, CO

3/17/1890

13

Store

Indianapolis, IN

12/21/1910

13

Leather manufacturer

Philadelphia, PA

3/10/1941

13

Theater fire

Brockton, MA

8/5/1949

13

Wildland fire (Mann Gulch)

Helena, MT

7/10/1893

12

Cold storage warehouse (Columbian Exposition)

Chicago, IL

9/5/1896

12

Theater

Benton Harbor, MI

10/17/1966

12

Multiple mercantile

New York City, NY

11/1/1966

12

Wildland fire (Loop Fire)

Angeles NF, CA

7/5/1973

12

Railroad tankers

Kingman, AZ

10/1/1943

11

Wildland fire (Hauser Canyon Fire)

Cleveland NF, CA

11/24/1956

11

Wildland fire (Inaja Fire)

Cleveland NF, CA

10/19/1857

10

Stores and warehouses

Chicago, IL

10/28/1954

10

Chemical plant

Philadelphia, PA

7/23/1984

10

Oil refinery

Romeoville, IL

6/19/1867

9

Theater

Philadelphia, PA

11/9/1872

9

The Great Boston Fire

Boston, MA

4/9/1894

9

Theater

Milwaukee, WI

2/3/1939

9

Restaurant

Syracuse, NY

1/17/1950

9

Construction site

Colorado Springs, CO

1/28/1961

9

Cold storage warehouse

Chicago, IL

6/17/1972

9

Building under renovation

Boston, MA

6/18/2007

9

Furniture store/warehouse

Charleston, SC

8/5/2008

9

Wildfire fire (Buckhorn) helicopter crash

Near Weaverville, CA

4/17/2013

9

Fertilizer plant

West, TX

7/9/1850

8

Wharf fire/conflagration

Philadelphia, PA

10/26/1913

8

Rubber products manufacturer

Milwaukee, WI

4/18/1924

8

Leather product storage

Chicago, IL

8/1/1932

8

Hotel

New York City, NY

7/9/1943

8

Mixed commercial

Chicago, IL

8/17/1975

8

Oil refinery

Philadelphia, PA

8/24/2003

8

Returning from wildland fire

Roseburg, OR

Disclaimer:Death tolls are based on information in NFPA’s records. Please contact us at osds@nfpa.org to provide any updated information.

* On 9/11/2001, 343 employees of the FDNY were killed: 340 firefighters, two paramedics and a chaplain. For the purposes of its annual Firefighter Fatality report, NFPA contains the count of only firefighters.

** Previously reported as 86 deaths, which was the total number of fire deaths. There were 78 firefighter deaths and nine civilian deaths.